I said, “I DO!!”

Well, well, well… It happened. After 13 years, two kids, countless fights, even more reconciliations and a heart full of love, I got married. That’s right, y’all! I got married.

Have you ever felt like your one true love was so far away and unattainable because of either your personal choices or just your personality in general? I have. Have you ever felt like no one could ever accept you, nor should they, in your true and basic form? I wonder if all people feel this way or is it just a self esteem that some people have.

A little history…my Husband and I are chemically and emotionally attached. He gets me. He loves me. I mean, he LOVES me. All of me. My down days, my up days, my sad days, my ill days, my ugly days and my beautiful days. Somehow, I got lucky enough to meet a man that thinks I’m pretty great. A man that thinks I’m beautiful. And a man who’s family is like a fairy tale. Is it perfect? Nope. But, I love them and they love me. Can one gain a mother and a father in one day? Yes.

C is my person. C is my best friend. C shows me that love is blind to all things mental health wise and all things that we may feel as failures. I am lucky to know him. Lucky to be his friend. Lucky to be his best friend and now lucky to be his wife.

Is a relationship hard work? Hell, yes. Is it worth it when I see him sleeping on the couch with his little feet crossed? Yes.

Things have happened in our relationship that neither one of us are proud of. Neither one of us wants to revisit again. Time heals all wounds. If two people live in harmony every single day of their lives, someone is lying. Someone is being fake and someone is tortured internally with a fire that no one can put out. An explosion is imminent. It will be ugly. It will be embarrassing and that person may lose the one thing they are trying to protect.

Being Real.

Is it possible? Can we talk to ourselves, dance while we cook, pee in the shower or watch sappy, stupid shows that we’ve seen a hundred times and cry like it’s the first time we’ve seen them? Yes. If you say no, then you’re lying. Truth is truth. My Husband knows all of these things about me and still knows to stop on The Notebook, despite the fact that we have the DVD, every time it’s on. He knows that I love One Direction. Does he think it’s weird? Sure! But he just laughs and listens when he has too.

My Husband is beautiful. My Husband is generous. My Husband is a devoted father to our children and plays with them like he is a kid himself. He puts together a Lego set with the best of them and never complains to Doodle 2 about the fact that his back hurts. He simply praises a job well done and smiles to himself.

I married my true love. I knew I didn’t want to say “traditional” vows, so I researched and found some that made my heart smile. I knew they were perfect.

“From the moment our paths crossed you’ve surprised me, distracted me, captivated me and challenged me the way no other human being has.

I’ve fallen in love with you again and again. Countless times without reservation and I still can’t believe that today I get to marry my best friend.

I promise to be true to you, to uplift and support you, to frustrate and challenge you.

And share with you the beautiful moments of life.

And someday, if the stars align, I might even let you win an argument.

No matter what trials we encounter together or how much time has passed, I know our love will never fade.

That we will find strength in one another, and that we will continue to grow side by side.

I believe in the truth of what we are and I will love you always.

With every beat of my heart,

I choose you and I’ll choose you over and over.

Without pause, with out a doubt, in a heartbeat, I’ll keep choosing you.”

My wish for everyone is that you find strength in these words. That you know that love is very real. I know I am lucky. I know I am one of the chosen few. I know that I am Mrs. Padgett now and my heart has never been so full. Full of hope, love, joy and a desire to tell the future to bring it on! Because I am ready. I am ready because I am strong. I am ready because my Husband is my foundation, I am his, and no matter what I do, I know he’ll never let me fall. We are a team. An unbeatable team and without a second thought, I put my life in his hands and know that I’m safe, secure and loved the way that I love him. Good, great, unperfect and beautiful.